


Survival of the Fittest

by CaptainMarvel42



Series: History Yet to Be Written [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Political Animals
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Gen, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 01:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4502352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainMarvel42/pseuds/CaptainMarvel42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>TJ gets a look at the man's face, and his breath catches. <i>That's my face</i>. TJ has had a twin his whole life, but never before has looking at another person been so much like looking in the mirror.</p><p>TJ Hammond meets the Winter Soldier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Six months sober._

No one in his family believed he would get here again. It's not like he blames them--he doubted it as well.

The world sees TJ Hammond as nothing more than an embarrassing headline, and if he is honest with himself, that's how he's seen himself for years. The drugs haven't been easy to kick, but it's the feelings of worthlessness and anxiety--the depression--that’s keeping him up at all hours. He'd give anything for a peaceful night's sleep. Instead, here he is sitting under a tree, Washington Monument in the distance, watching as the early morning joggers go by.

TJ takes a drag of his cigarette.

His new sponsor said he traded one addiction for another. His dad said that at least this won't kill him as quickly, and who’s he to judge, really? Bud Hammond has never been one for restraint. None of them are. Dad's a narcissist who has never been able to keep it in his pants. Mom’s consumed by work, and Doug's almost as bad. Nana's a boozehound whose stash TJ found within a week of moving home. Not that he's touched it--he knows she would never talk to him again if did. She made that much clear after the last time he stole from her.

Nana says TJ is just like her first husband--the mysterious grandfather no one knew--an unreliable drug addict with one foot in the grave. It stung, but TJ can't disagree.

That's why he snuck out here. Living at home again and being surrounded by family is… suffocating. It wasn't bad at first. After Doug eloped, everything felt like it was falling into place. He had started to hope that things would get better.

Then the incident with the Helicarriers happened--fucking HYDRA. Now Mom's Vice President because the last one was a Nazi, and TJ can't get a minute's peace from his family or the security crawling all over the place. It's not like his name was on the kill list that leaked. Everyone in his family had their name on the list--including Nana--but not him. Even HYDRA knows Thomas James Hammond is not worth the effort.

TJ puts the cigarette out, and leaves the bud on the ground. He thinks about getting another one out when he feels a prickling sensation at the back of his neck. It feels like he is being watched.

TJ looks around and sees a man staring at him. It's not an uncommon occurrence, but there is something about the man that makes TJ uneasy. His baseball cap and long matted hair mask his face. The man is walking closer. TJ looks around, and the joggers are gone. He can still hear them in the distance, but TJ and the man are alone.

The man is walking towards him now. He is wearing gloves, which TJ thinks is strange. It’s early, but it’s not that cold out. The man’s left arm looks stiff, and it’s being gripped by his right arm. He appears to be in pain.

"Hey," TJ shouts at the man, "Are you alright?"

The man doesn’t reply and keeps walking closer. TJ gets a look at the man's face, and his breath catches. _That's my face._ TJ has had a twin his whole life, but never before has looking at another person been so much like looking in the mirror.

TJ stands. "Who are you?" He asks.

The man stops walking about a yard away. He’s looking at the parking lot.

"Do you hear me?" _Am I going crazy?_

"You need to leave." The man's voice is rough, like he hasn't used it in a while. He’s looking directly at TJ now.

"What?" TJ is tempted to say that he was here first, but he doesn’t think it would be smart to antagonize this man. They are now standing a foot apart. The man is staring at TJ intently.

He says, "You need to get out of here."

"Why? Do you dislike my face?" TJ always pushes buttons, even when he knows he shouldn't--no, especially when he knows he shouldn't.

"They are coming for you."

TJ hears a car backfire, and says, "Who is--"

The man pushes TJ roughly to the ground. Not a car. Bullets. TJ tries to stand but the man holds him down. He tries again. "Who’s shooting? Are they after you?"

The man gives him a look, considering, like he is deciding which lie to tell. It's a look TJ's family must have seen on his own face frequently.

"HYDRA." The man gives TJ his right hand, and pulls him up. "They're after you too."

"What? Why?"

“We need to go. Now.”  TJ doesn’t argue. The man grabs TJ’s arm and roughly directs him towards the parking lot. Before TJ can process what's happening, the man has broken into a car. He holds out a gun and asks, “Can you shoot?”

TJ nods, and now he has a gun. It feels heavy in his hand. His dad taught Doug and him how to shoot when they were kids, back when he was still Governor. TJ was a good shot, but he’s only ever used a gun for target practice. He doesn’t know if he can defend himself with a gun. He hopes he can trust this man. TJ needs answers. “Who are you?”

“A ghost.” The man has started the car. “Some call me the Winter Soldier.”

TJ knows that name. It was all over the news after the mess with HYDRA. No one knew what happened to the Winter Soldier after the Helicarriers went down--it was like he disappeared. As far as TJ knows, everyone was hoping he didn’t survive.

“Down!” the Winter Soldier pushes TJ’s head down, and starts shooting over the car. TJ can’t see what’s happening, but he can hear the gunfire. Glass is everywhere. TJ doesn’t know how much time passes before the shooting stops. “Get in,” the Winter Soldier orders, moving into the passenger's seat. “Drive”.

TJ does what he says. He sits in the driver's seat and puts the car in reverse. He's still holding the gun tightly in his right hand. Through the rear-view mirror, TJ sees four bodies on the ground--they are wearing black unmarked tactical gear. He backs out and drives in the direction the Winter Soldier points. TJ almost misses what the Winter Soldier says next, but hears him softly say, "I thought I had more time."

“Time to do what?”

“Get you out.”

TJ glances at the Winter Soldier, his focus still on the road. “Are they after me because I look like you?”

“You don’t look like me," The Winter Soldier says, while he takes off his glove revealing a metal hand, "You are me.”

“What?”

The Winter Soldier takes a gun out of his boot. TJ wonders how many weapons the man has; he wonders if following this man was the right decision; and he wonders if Hydra would have come after him if he had stayed in bed. Finally, the Winter Soldier answers TJ’s question, “All of you are me. They made you.”

“Who made me?” TJ asks, exhausted, unsure if he wants the answer.

“They want you back.”

"Who wants me back?” TJ tries to make sense of what the Winter Soldier is saying. He doesn’t remember anyone having him. “Do you mean HYDRA?" TJ feels sick at the thought.

“More are coming."

"I need more information."

“I will hold them off,” the Winter Soldier says just as TJ sees men with guns pouring out of a black van. “Get somewhere safe.”

“Where is--” Before TJ can finish, the Winter Soldier opens the door and jumps out the moving vehicle. There are half a dozen more men back there, and TJ sees the Soldier take two of them down with brutal efficiency, but more are coming. The Soldier throws one man into another, taking them both out. Another van pulls up, and more men are going after the Soldier. He hopes the Soldier makes it. TJ doesn’t know what to do, so he keeps driving.

_Safe. Where is safe?_ He can’t go back to the Vice President’s house; if HYDRA is looking for him, that's the first place they would go. _Doug will know what to do._ The thought comes unbidden, but now that it’s there, TJ can’t stop thinking about it. No, he can’t put his brother and Anne in danger if HYDRA is after him.

_Doug will know what to do._

TJ turns left. He is speeding, but there are few cars on the road this early. It’s getting lighter out. Soon there will be more cars on the road.

He keeps checking his mirrors, hoping no one is following him. One gun is not enough to take out HYDRA. TJ thinks that maybe, just maybe, the Soldier stopped them. He remembers the footage of the Soldier fighting Captain America--they were evenly matched.

TJ also remembers that the Soldier was fighting with HYDRA. Now, they are after the Soldier. Now, they are after him.

He parks the car a block away from Doug's new house, takes off his leather jacket, and uses the jacket to conceal the gun. Running would attract attention, so he walks. He hopes Hydra hasn’t followed him. He hopes the Winter Soldier killed them all and is on his way back.

The house is very much Anne’s style. TJ rings the doorbell. He has a key, but he didn’t bring it with him when he snuck out a few hours ago--only a few hours ago--it feels like it has been longer.

The door opens and TJ shoves his way in--he’ll apologize later--and shuts and locks the door behind himself. Douglas is wearing a suit with a blue tie undone around his neck.

"Woah, TJ," Doug says as he lets TJ in, "What the hell? Where have you been?"

"Is Anne here?" TJ walks into the living room and closes the blinds.  

“Where have you been?” Douglas sounds upset. He follows TJ into the living room. “I got a call before five saying you disappeared.”

“Where’s Anne?”

“The phone woke her up, so she left early… don’t change the subject TJ.”

TJ checks the lock on the door leading to the backyard, ignoring Doug.

“Don’t ignore me TJ.” Doug puts his hand on TJ’s soldier, and recoils. “Is that blood?”

TJ turns towards Doug, and sees the red on his hand. “Huh, I didn’t notice that.”

“Sit on the couch. I’ll get the first aid kit, and you will tell me exactly what happened.” Doug leaves the room before TJ can say anything. It must have been the glass.

Doug comes back with the medical kit and sits beside TJ. He cleans the cut with an antiseptic wipe, bandages it, and then he asks what happened.

"Dougie, someone is trying to kill me."

"TJ, what did you do?"

"Nothing! I swear I have no idea why they’re after me." TJ gets up, leaving his jacket and gun on the couch. "Shit. I shouldn't be here.” He starts pacing. “They could have followed me. This is probably one of the first places they will look for me."

“Are you high?”

"No! I swear I’m still clean. Someone is really trying to kill me. I shouldn't have come here, but I couldn't think of anywhere else I could go--anyone else I could trust."

Doug stands up, places his hands on TJ’s shoulders, careful of the bandage, and says, "You're not making any sense. Start from the beginning."

"I snuck out of the house, and ended up near the Washington Monument. I was sitting under a tree."

Doug interrupts him, "Waiting for your drug dealer?"

"No, Dougie, look at me. I'm sober."

"Drug deal gone wrong?" Doug looks disappointed.

“I wasn’t buying fucking drugs,” TJ tries not to shout. He needs his brother’s help.

“Then what happened?”

"HYDRA came out of fucking nowhere and started shooting at me."

"What the hell?"  

"I don't know. They didn’t say anything.” TJ hopes Doug will tell him what to do next. “The man--he said they were after me, but I don’t get it. What would HYDRA want with me?"

“What man?”

“It was the Winter Soldier--he… he saved my life.” Doug looks like he was slapped. TJ continues, “That’s not the weirdest part. He looks exactly like me.”

“So, were they after him, and they mistook you for him?”

TJ had the same idea earlier, but he doubts that’s what happened. The Soldier said he was too late. Maybe TJ was the target, and the Soldier caught them by surprise? It would explain why there were only four men after them at first. Someone must have called for backup. “He didn’t look similar to me. He was me. He said I am him.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Doug shakes his head and directs TJ back to the couch, but TJ pushes him away.

“I know! None of this makes any fucking sense.”

The door gets bashed in. It’s HYDRA. There are over a dozen armed men coming through the front door. He never should have come here. He should have run on his own, tried to find somewhere no one would find him.

TJ grabs the gun off the couch and points it at the men, but there are too many of them. He doesn't know who to aim for.

One of the men has his gun against Doug’s head. He looks like he’s about to shoot.

“Don’t hurt him!” TJ aims his gun at the man’s chest. “I’ll surrender if you let him go.”

The man hits Doug in the head with his gun, knocking him to the ground. TJ shoots him. He misses the chest, and hits the man in his arm. Doug is not moving. TJ tries to run to him, but one of the men grabs him and he drops the gun. TJ is struggling to get away when he feels a prick in his arm--a needle. He headbutts the man holding him. Taking advantage of the moment of surprise, he gets away. It hurts. TJ feels blood dripping down his face. He stumbles over to Doug. TJ’s knees are weak, and he falls. There is a cracking sound. His shoulder? TJ tries to stand again, but someone is holding him down. He feels a knee dig into the cuts on his shoulder.

The man holding him down says, "Leave him. We have the one we need."

Doug’s unconscious body is the last thing TJ sees before he blacks out.


	2. Chapter 2

_Beep._

_Beep._

_BEEP._

TJ’s groans. His head is pounding. Someone needs to turn that sound off. He opens his eyes, but it’s too bright and everything is blurry, so he closes them again. Everything hurts.

He hears a man’s voice. “Did it work?”

A woman replies, “I can’t be certain, but he’s still alive. That’s better than the others.”

“Alive isn’t good enough.”

“I’ll need to run some tests.”

“Is he walking up?” The man sounds surprised.

“Not possible. He should be out for hours.”

TJ tries to ask where he is, but his throat is too dry. He opens his eyes again. Wires are everywhere.

“He’s awake,” the man shouts, “Knock him out again!”

“What is happening?” TJ asks softly. Speaking feels like there is glass in his throat.

The woman injects him with something, and says, “This should last for a few more hours.”

He tries to stay awake, but the pain and whatever drug she gave him are too much. 


End file.
